FROM A BOY WITH A BADGE TO CHIEF OF POLICE
Lincolnton’s Top Cop talks about retirement

Lincolnton Police Department chief Dean Abernathy stands next to a collection of badges he's worn over the years at the LPD. Abernathy recently told the Lincolnton City Council he's retiring Oct. 1.

By Jon Mayhew

It was a recent announcement by Lincolnton Police chief Dean
Abernathy that caught many by surprise at the recent city
budget workshop: after 30 years in law enforcement, Abernathy
is going to retire on October 1.

Upon retirement, Chief Abernathy will have completed a law
enforcement career that started when he was 20 years old at the
High Shoals Police Department.

“At that age when you have a badge and gun, you think you’re
the stuff,” said Abernathy. “You learn over the years the badge
and gun have a responsibility.”

Abernathy told The Carolina Scoop Thursday he started thinking
about retirement a year ago.

“I realized that during my entire law enforcement career, I didn’t
have time in between everything for my family,” said Abernathy.

Chief Abernathy chats with Captain Cindy Monday (left) at the police department.

Abernathy’s career at Lincolnton Police almost never get started
some 24 years ago because he turned down a job offer from
then-chief Tommy Burgin.

“Tommy called me in October 1985 and offered me a job, but I
couldn’t leave Mount Holly Police because I was making more
money,” said Abernathy. “I’m grateful he gave me a second
chance because he hired me.”

As a LPD officer working on the nightshift, Abernathy was on the
road for 18 months.

“Back then, we didn’t have a rotating schedule,” said Abernathy.
“I worked every weekend.”

Chief Abernathy chats with Lincolnton City Councilman Larry Mac Hovis during the city's recent budget retreat.

After being trained by Roger Hilton, Abernathy was assigned to
work with Ronnie Lail. Abernathy fondly remembers working
with Lail back in the 80s.

“He let you work,” said Abernathy. “He was the kind of supervisor
who let you work and I loved what I did.”

After Tommy Burgin retired and his son, Terry, became chief,
Abernathy said he received his first promotion, leaving the road
and going into criminal investigations with Jerry Hallman.

“He wanted me to come work as a detective so on I went,” said
Abernathy, adding he took Terry Burgin’s spot when Burgin
became chief.

Chief Abernathy showed his culinary skills at Thanksgiving 2008 by cutting the Lincolnton Police Department's turkey (and it wasn't named Lt. Kent Lukach).

Back then, there were only two detectives when Abernathy
worked as an investigator: Hallman and Abernathy.

“We got called out a lot,” said Abernathy. “It was very busy with
an unbelievable workload. Two detectives couldn’t handle the
workload our detectives handle today.”

In 2003, Chief Burgin retired, and Abernathy was chosen by city
manager Jeff Emory to become Chief of Police.

Abernathy said once he became chief, there were opportunities
to increase service to the citizens and businesses in Lincolnton.

“I wanted to have an adequate number of officers and coverage,”
said Abernathy. “I took manpower, reassigned officers and
increased coverage.”

For example, Abernathy added an officer at the police
department during shift changes.

One funny moment Abernathy remembers as chief involved his
longtime friend, now-retired officer Bobby Poteat.

Abernathy was sitting in his office one day when he received a
call from a friend, telling him a woman ran out of the department
and got into a vehicle, heading down Edwards Street.

“I remembered that Poteat had a woman in custody downstairs,”
said Abernathy. “I ran out of my office and asked Bobby where
his prisoner was.”

The look on Poteat’s face was like “a deer caught in the
headlights,” according to Abernathy, who stayed on the phone
with his friend until the suspect was taken back into custody.

As it turns out, Poteat let the woman step outside to smoke a
cigarette.

“I’ve known Bobby all my life,” laughed Abernathy. “When I saw
the look on his face, the same thought hit us at the same time. I
remember we had a long talk about that.”

Abernathy said the one thing he’ll miss the most he retires is the
people he’s worked with at the department.

“Over the years, you learn there’s people you can and cannot
trust,” said Abernathy. “I’m going to miss these people.”

Having never walked away from anything in his life, Abernathy
said retirement at first could be tough.

“I know that I have competent people here that can take care of
the job because I put these people in these positions,” said
Abernathy. “Retirement is something we work our whole careers
for in law enforcement. Retirement may be fun.”

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